Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Another 12 great reviews! See issue 65 for over 100 more :)

Picture Books for young children

Solomon and Mortimer

Written and illustrated by Catherine Rayner

Macmillan £6.99

ISBN: 978-1509830459

Solomon and Mortimer are two
bored crocodiles. They decide it would be fun to play a trick on Hippo, while
he is wallowing in the water. They will surprise him, make him jump and create
a big splash in the water to make them laugh. But they find that Hippo is smart
and neatly turns the tables on them making everyone laugh. Another joyful
picture book form this well-loved Kate Greenaway medal-winning author/illustrator.
As always, the story is great and the illustrations work so perfectly with the
text, offering additional dimensions and humour seen only through the pictures.

Annie Everall

Captain McGrew Wants
You for His Crew!

Written by Mark Sperring

Illustrated by Ed Eaves

Bloomsbury £6.99

ISBN: 978-1408871034

Do you think a pirate’s life is for you? Yes, then set sail
with Captain McGrew. But, maybe you’ll find pirating isn’t all it’s cracked up
to be. Told in humorous verse with engaging illustrations to match, Captain
McGrew’s greedy, demanding ways make for a lively and entertaining read. As the
story develops, it soon becomes apparent that working for him will not be all
sun, sea and piracy. In fact, piracy may in fact be a lot of hard work. Mark
Sperring and Ed Eaves have teamed up to create a fun story with a surprising
conclusion. Best polish up those pirate accents!

Rebecca Watts

My Donkey Benjamin

Written by Hans Limmer

Illustrated by Lennart Osbeck

Translated by Elke Wakefield

ISBN: 978-1925228489

My Pig Paulina

Written by Hans Limmer

Illustrated by David Crossley

Translated by Elke Wakefield

ISBN: 978-1925228496

Scribe UK £10.99
each

These two charming books show how a family, living in a
Mediterranean island village, find and then adopt two lost farm creatures, a
baby donkey and a baby pig. The story of
how each is discovered is described in simple text on each page, and is
illustrated by delightful black and white photographs. The donkey is discovered
on the beach by toddler, Susi, and her father. Photographs document how they bring
the donkey home and how Susi befriends and feeds him until they become firm
friends and playmates. The second book tells a similar story about a pig, found
a few years later, this time by Susi’s younger sister, Angelika, by this time
herself a toddler. The piglet is
wandering near the village tied up in a sack, and Angelika brings him home and
cares for him until his owner finds him and wants him back to take to the
butcher. She runs away with the pig to a nearby cave, and, fortunately, by the
time they are found, the pig has been reprieved. Two delightful stories about
young children’s relationships with animals.
The village setting will be very unfamiliar to most children and
illustrate a way of life now even rarer than when these were first published.
Nevertheless, both stories would make good read-alouds for young children and
parents.

Liz Dubber

First Steps in reading for young children

Babar’s Guide to Paris

Written and illustrated by Laurent de Brunhoff

Abrams £11.99

ISBN: 978-1419722899

Babar, the elephant, has a daughter called Isabelle and she is
going to Paris. As it is his favourite city, one he has visited many times, he
tells her about some of the places to visit and how to make the most of the
experience. From drinking coffee at a pavement café, to what to wear and taking
the Metro to see the sights, the essence of Parisian life is captured in this
genial guidebook for young travellers. Families planning a visit could use this
as a starting point of what to expect, though I suspect the streets and public
spaces are today a little more crowded than depicted here. A good companion to
other books such as Salvatore Robbino’s A
Walk in Paris. Laurent de Brunhoff continues to build on his father’s work
by creating new adventures for the much-loved Babar, using the same distinctive
style and palette.

Jayne Gould

Titles for the young
child just beginning to Read Alone

All About Ella

Written by Sally Nicholls

Illustrated by Hannah Coulson

Barrington Stoke
£6.99

ISBN: 978-1781125335

Ella’s teacher has been reading the poem Monday’s Child is Fair of Face to the
class. Ella wants to know what day of the week she was born on, so that she
will know what kind of child she is. But Ella’s older brother is very sick and
her family’s attention is focused on him. No-one seems to know what day she was
born on and Ella is feeling that no-one cares about her. However, through the
course of a week, she comes to learn more about herself and to understand that
there is more to a person than just the day of the week they were born on.
Another title in the Barrington Stoke Little
Gems series. These titles are all of a very high standard and written by
some of the best authors writing for children today. This one explores family
relationships in a way that gets its message across to a young reader very
well. The books in this series, and indeed all those on Barrington Stokes’ list
as a whole, are designed to be dyslexia-friendly and to encourage children to
discover the joys of reading.

Annie Everall

Titles for readers Moving On from Primary to High School

Tilt

Written by Mary Hoffman

Barrington Stoke
£6.99

ISBN: 978-1781125656

The story is set in Pisa, 1299. Netta’s father is a
successful architect, commissioned to identify why Pisa’s famous tower is
leaning and how it can be corrected. Netta is his only surviving child. She has
inherited his passion for architecture, and his talents, but in thirteenth
century male-dominated Italy being a girl is enough to seal her expected
destiny. The mystery of ‘The Leaning Tower’ and Netta’s determination to
persuade her father to take her talents seriously combine to weave a pacey, informative
tale. Mary Hoffman’s love of Italy and her trademark commitment to female
characters, especially who neither submit nor surrender, shine through.

Yvonne Coppard

Titles for Young Teenage Readers

The Last Thing You
Said

Written by Sara Biren

Abrams £10.99

ISBN: 978-1419723049

Set in a small town in the USA, this is a story of the
impact of a death on the lives of people within that community. Lucy and Trixie
have been best friends from a very young age. Lucy has also been in love with
Trixie’s brother, Ben, for as long as she can remember and his feelings for her
are mutual although neither has talked to each other about this. But then, last
summer, their lives changed in an instant. Trixie and Lucy’s brother go
swimming while Ben and Lucy are flirting with each other, and about to shyly
admit their feelings for one another, when tragedy strikes. Trixie has a heart
attack and she dies in the water. Following her death, his pain and grief
causes Ben to verbally lash out at Lucy and fracture their friendship and
burgeoning relationship. As the one year anniversary of her death approaches,
both are still in love with each other but have drifted apart to protect
themselves from the pain and grief they are still feeling. A well-written story
which explores the pain of grief and loss and the power of first love. Gently
told, characters develop realistically and are well rounded. The description is
excellent, capturing the feel and sense of a tightly knit family within a
small-town community.

Annie Everall

Take the Key and Lock
Her Up

Written by Ally Carter

Orchard £6.99

ISBN: 978-1408334409

“When the screams come, I can’t be sure that I’m not
dreaming.” Ally Carter certainly knows how to start a story, and her fiercely
independent, indomitable, if troubled, hero Grace will appeal to lots of teens
seeking a role model as well as providing a thoroughly good read. In this third
of the Embassy Row series, Grace
uncovers much about her birth and the family secrets which will put her in
opposition to a powerful secret society and threaten her life. She must move
rapidly to protect her brother and her family from a state whose existence is
threatened by them, which believes that their deaths will preserve the status
quo and even peace in Europe. Grace makes rapid decisions, even when they are
wrong, takes no nonsense from anyone and strikes out for what she believes in,
supported by a group of friends and a love interest, Alexei. (He says and does
little, but is, obviously, gorgeous.) There are many twists and turns to the
story, together with engaging characters and a political surprise to explain
past mysteries. A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, warmly recommended for
young adults.

Tina Massey

Titles for More Mature Young Adults

The Edge of Everything

Written by Jeff Giles

Bloomsbury £7.99

ISBN: 978-1408869079

This intriguing novel is a mixture of fantasy, adventure,
mystery and romance, with attractive characters and a haunting, evocative
landscape. During a blizzard at their remote home in the mountains of Montana,
Zoe is left with her demanding, but endearing, younger brother. Against her mother’s
instructions, she allows Jonah to play outside with the dogs despite the
freezing temperatures. When Zoe realises that Jonah has disappeared, and goes
to search for him, she discovers there are even worse dangers in the snow and
ice awaiting them. The descriptions of the storm and its repercussions are raw,
as is the cruelty of the man hiding in the storm. When help comes, their
rescuer is beyond Zoe’s imagining and has a tough story of his own to tell. The
search for the truth about the underlying mystery of the death of Zoe’s father
whilst caving becomes the catalyst for the seemingly improbable romance between
Zoe and the mysterious X. This is the first in a series so there is more to
come in this fantasy story as the reader becomes involved in the various
characters and the mystery of X’s background. Whilst harsh at times and
certainly a story for older readers, both Zoe and X find compassion, love and
support in the most unlikely places.

Louise Stothard

Information
Titles

Our Special World: My
Friends

Written by Liz Lennon

Franklin Watts
£10.99

ISBN 978-1445148991

This is a wonderfully inclusive depiction of children and
their friends. It looks at making friends, feelings, having fun together and
sharing. It also asks questions throughout, giving the child an opportunity to
think about their own behaviour and attitudes. The photos are clear and up-to-date
being multicultural and inclusive throughout. The text gives lots of simple
advice for children, to both reassure them and also help them enhance their own
experiences of friendship. This title is perfect for sharing with younger
children who are having to deal with making friends for the first time. (3 to 5
yrs)

Nicole Jordan

Mad About Art

Written by Judith Heneghan

Wayland £8.99

ISBN: 978-0750294539

This title is the perfect addition to the bookshelves of any
art lover. With comprehensive advice and top tips on technique from real experts,
this is sure to help budding artists improve their art skills. The text covers
still life, light and shade, perspective, drawing people and using colour,
along with information on different art movements such as Surrealism. There is
a quiz at the end to check learning and a good glossary to help the reader
clarify some of the more difficult terms. The presentation is clear, colourful
and bright, with excellent illustrations and photographs. (8 to 11 yrs)